return NOTIFY_OK;
 }
 
-/* Change datapath */
-static void netvsc_vf_update(struct work_struct *w)
+static int netvsc_vf_up(struct net_device *vf_netdev)
 {
-       struct net_device_context *ndev_ctx
-               = container_of(w, struct net_device_context, vf_notify);
-       struct net_device *ndev = hv_get_drvdata(ndev_ctx->device_ctx);
+       struct net_device_context *net_device_ctx;
        struct netvsc_device *netvsc_dev;
-       struct net_device *vf_netdev;
-       bool vf_is_up;
-
-       if (!rtnl_trylock()) {
-               schedule_work(w);
-               return;
-       }
+       struct net_device *ndev;
 
-       vf_netdev = rtnl_dereference(ndev_ctx->vf_netdev);
-       if (!vf_netdev)
-               goto unlock;
+       ndev = get_netvsc_byref(vf_netdev);
+       if (!ndev)
+               return NOTIFY_DONE;
 
-       netvsc_dev = rtnl_dereference(ndev_ctx->nvdev);
+       net_device_ctx = netdev_priv(ndev);
+       netvsc_dev = rtnl_dereference(net_device_ctx->nvdev);
        if (!netvsc_dev)
-               goto unlock;
-
-       vf_is_up = netif_running(vf_netdev);
-       if (vf_is_up != ndev_ctx->datapath) {
-               if (vf_is_up) {
-                       netdev_info(ndev, "VF up: %s\n", vf_netdev->name);
-                       rndis_filter_open(netvsc_dev);
-                       netvsc_switch_datapath(ndev, true);
-                       netdev_info(ndev, "Data path switched to VF: %s\n",
-                                   vf_netdev->name);
-               } else {
-                       netdev_info(ndev, "VF down: %s\n", vf_netdev->name);
-                       netvsc_switch_datapath(ndev, false);
-                       rndis_filter_close(netvsc_dev);
-                       netdev_info(ndev, "Data path switched from VF: %s\n",
-                                   vf_netdev->name);
-               }
+               return NOTIFY_DONE;
 
-               /* Now notify peers through VF device. */
-               call_netdevice_notifiers(NETDEV_NOTIFY_PEERS, ndev);
-       }
-unlock:
-       rtnl_unlock();
+       /* Bump refcount when datapath is acvive - Why? */
+       rndis_filter_open(netvsc_dev);
+
+       /* notify the host to switch the data path. */
+       netvsc_switch_datapath(ndev, true);
+       netdev_info(ndev, "Data path switched to VF: %s\n", vf_netdev->name);
+
+       return NOTIFY_OK;
 }
 
-static int netvsc_vf_notify(struct net_device *vf_netdev)
+static int netvsc_vf_down(struct net_device *vf_netdev)
 {
        struct net_device_context *net_device_ctx;
+       struct netvsc_device *netvsc_dev;
        struct net_device *ndev;
 
        ndev = get_netvsc_byref(vf_netdev);
                return NOTIFY_DONE;
 
        net_device_ctx = netdev_priv(ndev);
-       schedule_work(&net_device_ctx->vf_notify);
+       netvsc_dev = rtnl_dereference(net_device_ctx->nvdev);
+       if (!netvsc_dev)
+               return NOTIFY_DONE;
+
+       netvsc_switch_datapath(ndev, false);
+       netdev_info(ndev, "Data path switched from VF: %s\n", vf_netdev->name);
+       rndis_filter_close(netvsc_dev);
 
        return NOTIFY_OK;
 }
 
        net_device_ctx = netdev_priv(ndev);
        cancel_work_sync(&net_device_ctx->vf_takeover);
-       cancel_work_sync(&net_device_ctx->vf_notify);
 
        netdev_info(ndev, "VF unregistering: %s\n", vf_netdev->name);
 
        spin_lock_init(&net_device_ctx->lock);
        INIT_LIST_HEAD(&net_device_ctx->reconfig_events);
        INIT_WORK(&net_device_ctx->vf_takeover, netvsc_vf_setup);
-       INIT_WORK(&net_device_ctx->vf_notify, netvsc_vf_update);
 
        net_device_ctx->vf_stats
                = netdev_alloc_pcpu_stats(struct netvsc_vf_pcpu_stats);
        case NETDEV_UNREGISTER:
                return netvsc_unregister_vf(event_dev);
        case NETDEV_UP:
+               return netvsc_vf_up(event_dev);
        case NETDEV_DOWN:
-               return netvsc_vf_notify(event_dev);
+               return netvsc_vf_down(event_dev);
        default:
                return NOTIFY_DONE;
        }